What are the Hidden Costs of a Poorly Conducted Selection Process for a Church Planter?

In 2015, an Adventist community in the metropolitan area of a large Brazilian city decided to plant a new church in a rapidly growing neighborhood. Although well-intentioned, the project suffered from significant flaws in the selection process of the church planter, leading to challenges that impacted the sustainability and mission of the new church.

Context of the Selection

The chosen church planter was a local leader known for his enthusiasm and dedication in the mother church. However, the selection process overlooked crucial steps, such as:

1. Assessment of Spiritual and Personal Competencies: Despite his commitment, the planter lacked practical experience in leadership and discipleship.

2. Analysis of Social and Cultural Context: The chosen neighborhood was predominantly composed of migrants with distinct cultural practices, which the planter was unfamiliar with.

3. Training and Preparation: There was no specific training provided to prepare the planter for the challenges of the new mission field.

Development and Outcomes

1. Lack of Effective Leadership

The planter’s leadership was compromised due to insufficient interpersonal and strategic skills. He struggled to mobilize the support team and engage the community members, resulting in discouragement and internal conflicts.

2. Cultural Misalignment

The inability to understand and contextualize within the local cultural environment led to a disconnected evangelistic approach. The community felt that the new church was irrelevant to their needs and concerns.

3. Low Sustainability

The church faced financial and organizational problems. Without a clear plan for self-sustainability, it became overly dependent on the mother church for resources and support, discouraging its members.

4. Impact on the Mother Church

The project’s failure caused frustration among members of the mother church, who felt that their financial and human resources had been misused. This resulted in decreased confidence in future planting initiatives.

Lessons Learned

1. The Importance of Spiritual and Vocational Assessment: A church planter must be called and prepared, with clear evidence of leadership and discipleship capabilities.

2. The Need for Contextualization: The planter must understand the cultural and social dynamics of the target community.

3. Proper Training: Specific training in leadership, discipleship, and management is critical for the success of church planting.

4. Strategic Planning: Church planting projects must include robust plans for financial and missional sustainability.

Conclusion

This case demonstrates how an inadequate selection process can significantly compromise the success of a new church. To avoid such problems, the Seventh-day Adventist Church must prioritize a thorough selection process, grounded in biblical principles, proper training, and cultural alignment. As Ellen G. White emphasized, "an inadequate ministry can neutralize the mission" (White, 1902, p. 5).

Illustration: Neglected Steps in the Selection Process

Step	Consequence of Neglect
Spiritual Assessment	Weakened leadership and excessive dependency on third parties.
Cultural Context Analysis	Disconnection from the community and low receptiveness to the gospel.
Training and Preparation	Difficulty mobilizing the team and developing ministries.
Strategic Planning	Lack of self-sustainability and excessive dependency.

This case study underscores the need for a well-structured and spiritually grounded process for selecting church planters. The right choice can define the success of the mission and the longevity of the planted church.